


Mismatched Witchcraft

by Hashtagmavin



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Football player Gavin, High school crushes, M/M, Tattooed and pierced Michael
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-08
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2018-02-20 10:49:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2425994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hashtagmavin/pseuds/Hashtagmavin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(High School AU) In which everyone is a childish teenager with overactive imaginations. It doesn't take much to convince Gavin that his new boyfriend is a witch, especially since he already looks the part.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted at Hashtagmavin.tumblr.com  
> I love cliched and cute high school AU's, so this silly fic was born. It was supposed to be one chapter, but then it ended up being a bit too long. So I apologize for how rushed it is, it was intended to be a lot shorter. <3

For some odd and inexplicable reason, Gavin Free had become immediately infatuated with Michael Jones upon first seeing him.

 

Which was an odd thing considering they were polar opposites. Nothing about them seemed to be similar upon first glance.

Gavin could be described as one of those preppy football playing characters in every teen movie. He's popular in their school and loved by everybody. Even the teachers adore him and he gets fairly good grades in all if his classes. He's attractive, all of the freshman girls giggle and blush when he simply smiles their way.

 

But he isn't egotistical about it. If there's one thing that Gavin isn't, it's vain. He's nothing but friendly to everybody, although mischievous and obnoxious with his close friends.

 

That's it, he's just a simple boy that happened to stumble into popularity, and it wasn't like he was going to turn that down.

 

He'd first seen Michael at the beginning of senior year.

 

Gavin had been new to the school, only just moving overseas to Texas. He'd made friends very quickly, becoming extremely close to Geoff Ramsey who had immediately taken the boy beneath his wing. And through Geoff, he'd met and become friends with Ray, Jack, Ryan, Lindsay, Barbara, and the rest of their small crew. They had easily let him slip into the group, and he'd fit in perfectly.

 

They'd made the transition of moving to a new country a lot easier. He was expecting it to be more like the movies where everybody teams together to beat on and abuse the new kid. He'd thought he'd have to eat his lunch in the boys washroom and only have teachers to call his friends.

 

He's thankful to have been proven wrong.

 

He'd be invited to go everywhere with them. Not once did he ever feel like the weak link that they were obligated to take with them, they genuinely wanted him to be there and actually enjoyed his company.

 

Weekends that used to be spent alone in his room playing video games or watching YouTube videos were now spent hanging out with them. Going to movies, attending parties, group study sessions if there was a major test coming up, etc.

 

It was great. Gavin never imagined that he could have such a large group of friends that were equal parts playfully insulting and incredibly caring. Which was perfect because that's exactly how he'd sum up his own personality.

 

Seeing as how most of them were on the school's football team, they'd convinced him to play a game with them for fun. Mainly because they all thought it would be amusing to watch him try to play such an unfamiliar sport, the ones not on the team were watching in hysterics from the sidelines.

 

He was terrible at it at first, but that's to be expected because he didn't actually know any of the rules. They'd made him go into it blind, knowing that it would be more fun to teach him as they play.

 

He'd ask dumb questions, not understanding the plays or what a play even is. He was very persistent in being the quarterback, despite not knowing what that is either. It was simply the only football term that he knew. Everybody not playing and on the opposite team was eager to let him be the quarterback because they knew it could only end in hilarity.

 

What nobody was expecting, especially not Gavin, was for him to actually be good at it.

 

At first he was terrible and it was all just fun and games, but once they began commenting on how well he was surprisingly playing (between the idiotic questions and stupid jokes), he began really trying.

 

So, extremely long story short, Gavin was now on the schools football team.

 

Everything was going swell. He was still trying to get used to having so many friends and attention at one time, but it was a great feeling.

 

Then, after a few weeks of awkwardly settling in, came the cliched scene from every teenage romcom.

 

"Who's that?" Gavin asks, not even realizing he'd spoke. His eyes and mind are too transfixed on the boy down the hall.

 

Geoff follows his gaze to see Michael Jones.

 

Wearing his usual dark clothing and grumpy scowl as he walks to his next class. The only thing adorable and innocent looking about him is his curly reddish-brown hair and the freckles that grace his cheeks.

 

Everything about him screams “intimidating.” He’s wearing a baggy black hoodie and dark jeans with various small rips in them. Other than that, the only thing that throws Gavin off is the amount of piercings the boy has.

 

Multiple decorative holes in his face that outnumber the natural ones by a long shot. He’s never known the technical terms for particular piercings, but he knows the ones below his mouth are called snake bites. He has multiple ones in his ears, eyebrows, and one through the bridge of his nose. And, he appears to be absentmindedly playing with his tongue piercing within his mouth.

 

"Michael Jones" he answers, "I wouldn't bother much with him though. He mostly keeps to himself and I don't think he really has any friends."

 

"Why not?"

 

"Not sure," Geoff shrugs, "I guess he just prefers to be on his own. But I don't think anybody's ever tried to get close with him anyways. He seems pretty hardcore."

 

"Hardcore," Gavin repeats the word quietly to himself, raising an eyebrow at the term. It recently seems to match his physical description. He looks like every stereotypical gothic kid character from the media.

 

Gavin never imagined himself being the one to swoon over "bad boy" types. But Michael appears to be the living embodiment of that term, and Gavin doesn't believe he's ever been so enthralled with another person before. He’d practically stopped dead when he first caught sight of the guy.

 

He'd asked Geoff about the boy without even realizing he'd opened his mouth. When Geoff gave him the name, it only dazed Gavin more.

 

_Michael Jones._

 

As if he'd spoken the name out loud, the boy catches his gaze and stares right back. Gavin immediately snaps out of whatever stupor he was in, and directs his attention to Geoff, trying to make it seem as though he were staring at the older man the whole time.

 

The deep cherry red coloring his cheeks tells an entirely different story though, and he wants to curse himself for being so weak willed against his own emotions and their tendency to be read so easily on his face.

 

Geoff catches what has happened and lets out a loud laugh, clapping the boy on the back. "Yeah, he's pretty intimidating, not the kind of person you’d want your own kid hanging around. Bad news, ya’know? I’d say he's harmless though. Probably."

 

Those words stick with Gavin for a long time. 'Probably' he’d repeatedly mouth to himself. It made him want to both keep as far away from the other boy as possible and get closer to him.

 

He had to agree with himself though that it was a bad idea. Just from looking at him, Gavin could tell that he and Michael were two completely different people on separate sides of the social ladder. If Michael even considers himself to be on it in the first place.

 

Having no friends doesn't appear to bother him. Gavin watches him, sitting by himself during classes or silently walking to his next one with nobody by his side. It appears almost as though he likes it that way.

 

There's nothing on his face to indicate that he's sad or depressed by this fact. He walks down the hall with confidence, as though he's got nothing to fear within the dreaded walls of high school and he appears to be right. Nobody ever stops him or tries to get in his way. In fact, it looks as though everybody almost clears a path for him.

 

Most people in high school are bullied for being different, but Michael seems to relish in it.

 

Gavin wouldn't be able to explain his sudden fascination with the boy. Maybe it has to do with his appearance being so different than those around him. Or maybe it's his seclusion from the other students. Whatever it is, Gavin's interested in finding out more about him.

 

Which is how he ends up staring at the boy whenever they happen to be in the same room together.

 

Gavin admits that it's probably creepy, but he doesn't even notice that he's doing it until Michael looks in his direction and he's forced to quickly look away and feign innocence.

 

Maybe one may look at Michael Jones and just think him to be a typical goth kid, but Gavin couldn't help but fall head over heels upon first glance. Which, even he admits, is extremely ridiculous. He doesn't even believe in all of that love-at-first-sight nonsense, but something was pulling him towards the boy in a way he couldn't describe. Something that you’d only imagine hearing about in sappy romance movies and young adult novels, that cause the audience to either roll their eyes or squeal gleefully, depending on age.

 

And as he switches between studying the patterns on his shoes and the floor, trying to act as though he wasn't just outright staring at another student (for the umpteenth time this week), he can’t help but wince at his own mushy thoughts. Michael Jones is not somebody that Gavin Free falls in love with, especially not that quickly. But, this is high school after all, that’s when all of this dumb “Oh, I’m so desperately in love with you” stuff is supposed to happen, right?

 

Gavin takes a chance and looks up, back over to where Michael was standing. His eyes widen when he sees the boy still there, and now actually staring back at him. A pierced eyebrow is raised with confusion. Or maybe annoyance. It’s hard to tell what he’s thinking in the brief second Gavin sees him before looking back down at his shoes again. Maybe he’s just wondering what he was staring at, or maybe he’s considering how many hits it would take to punch Gavin’s nose complete into his face.

 

Only in that moment does Gavin realize that whatever he’s feeling for Michael Jones is not going to go away any time soon. His curiosity has been piqued and now there's a burning desire to know more about the boy.

 

Every time he catches himself thinking about the boy, he lets out a sigh of defeat. He hasn't even been to this school for a month, and he's already digging his own grave.

 

*

 

There aren't many people that Gavin would consider good candidates for asking about another boy in school. Any of the guys would just make fun of him and tease him mercilessly about having a “crush.” But asking anybody outside of his friend group could result in some fast travelling gossip, and he needs this to stay as far away from other student’s ears as possible. Especially if it could end up getting back to Michael Jones himself.

 

So, his best option is Barbara and Lindsay.

 

He’s extremely close with the two cheerleaders, never finding it difficult to converse or hang out with them. They were the first people to quickly accept him into their group of friends. Gavin can still recall them rushing forward to introduce themselves. Not in a flirty or romantically interested way, but just with the excitement of meeting a new person. He has to admit that he liked them upon first glance, the two girls were funny and it wasn't very long until the three were cracking jokes together.

 

Of course, this doesn't stop them from being gossipy teenagers that love to poke fun at him like sisters.

 

He waits to bring it up until it’s just the three of them at their lunch table. Geoff, Ryan, Ray, and Jack are either still in the lunch line or have not arrived in the cafeteria yet. This isn't out of the ordinary though, lunch usually always start with them getting to the table first, their lockers are closest.

 

Barbara and Lindsay are chatting casually, something about a test in their history class. Luckily, he isn't in that class so he doesn't have to join the conversation, which gives him a few moments to think about this without any suspicion from the two. Also, a test in history sounds like hell, so he’s thankful that he doesn't have to deal with the stresses they’re currently facing.

 

After a few moments of internally debating on how to bring it up as quickly as possible, in fear of the guys arriving mid-way through the conversation, he begins to panic. If he waits any longer he’ll wuss out and never end up asking. Putting this much thought into one person is more proof that he’s got something more than innocent curiosity towards the guy.

 

Fuck it, he decides, leaning forward to interrupt their conversation.

 

“Do you know Michael Jones?” Gavin asks, attempting to sound as nonchalant as possible.

 

“Why?” Lindsay quirks an eyebrow before grabbing a fry from his lunch tray. “Has he been bothering you?”

 

“No, I've just been seeing a lot of him lately,” he says, conveniently leaving out the reasoning behind that is because he’s absentmindedly looking for him, “And Geoff said that he’s bad news. Is he bad news?”

 

“Well, have you  _seen_  him? The guy doesn't exactly look like  _good_  news,” Barbara interjects, reaching over the entire lunch table to grab a handful and shoveling the fries into her mouth. “I've heard rumors that the reason he wears those black hoodies all the time is because his arms are covered in tattoos.”

 

Lindsay reaches over to steal another fry from him, “And have you seen all of those piercings? Word around school is that he did them all  _himself_. With a  _knife_.”

 

Gavin rolls his eyes, accepting the fact that his fries are as good as gone when those two are around.

 

“What else do you want to know about him?” questions Lindsay.

 

“He doesn't have any friends?”

 

“Not that I know of. I think everybody’s just kinda scared of him.”

 

Gavin visibly jumps when a lunch tray is practically slammed down next to him on the table.

 

“Michael Jones is a weird kid, and if you hang out with him, you’ll probably end up dead in a ditch somewhere,” Geoff states, butting in the conversation despite only just arriving at their lunch table moments ago. He shoves Lindsay away for playful affect, but she just grins and shoves him back before taking some of his fries too.

 

“That’s pretty dark,” Gavin mumbles, annoyed at his friend’s arrival.

 

“No it’s not, Michael’s creepy. You've seen him,” Geoff states, and Gavin rolls his eyes at the reminder. “I’m telling you right now to stay away from him. He’s not the kind of people I want you hanging around with.”

 

“Since when are you my mother?” Gavin smiles, trying to turn the conversation into something more playful. He feels like he’s being reprimanded for something he hasn't even done yet. Talking to Michael Jones isn't exactly something he’s desperate to do at the moment.

 

“I told you on your first day, didn’t? I've taken you under my wing and I’m gonna make damn sure that you’re getting out of high school alive. If that means giving you advice to stay away from the creepy weirdo kid, then that’s what I’m going to do,” Geoff states, a serious look on his face as he nods once.

 

“Aw, that’s so cute,” Barbara coos mockingly, “The mama bird looking after her young.”

 

Geoff just grins and pulls an arm around Gavin’s neck, yanking him uncomfortably into a partial head-lock. “Yup! So let Mama-Bird-Geoff feed you,” he yells out, opening his mouth to reveal his half-eaten food.

 

“That’s disgusting! Let me go!” Gavin yells back, attempting to squirm his way out of Geoff’s iron grip.

 

Everybody laughs in disgust and at the playful scene itself, putting the Michael Jones conversation behind them.

 

But Gavin still thinks about him, never letting the boy stray far from his thoughts. No need to tell his friends about that though, they would just make fun of how ridiculously obsessed he is with a boy he hasn't even properly met yet. And it’s true, he should be making fun of  _himself_  at this rate. Thinking so much about Michael Jones is doing nothing to help him, but it’s difficult to stop once he’s started. All it takes is one quick glance out of the corner of his eye at the boy, then his thoughts are consumed about him for the rest of the school day.

 

It’s dumb. He puts too much thought into things. He needs to let it go and get on with his high school life. He’s got a good thing going for him out here in America. Popular, lots of friends, swooning girls, football player, great grades, good reputation, the list goes on.

 

What more could he possibly be searching for? A bully to beat his face in everyday? No thank you. He’s quite content with his facial structure the way it is.

 

So, why the sudden fascination with the guy?

 

What good could come out of talking to Michael Jones?


	2. Chapter 2

Out of all of the teachers in the school, Mr. Burns is definitely one of Gavin’s favorites. He’s a chill teacher with a great sense of humor, never fearing to curse or call somebody out in class.

Of course, he knows when it’s time to buckle down and actually force the students to work, but most of the time he pretty much allows everybody to do whatever they want. Nobody in Chemistry class is really a troubled student anyways, and as long as you get your work done, you get good grades in it. He doesn’t even spring any pop-quizzes on them.

That’s why Chemistry is one of Gavin’s favorite classes. Not only is he good at the subject, but it’s a fairly easy course that he doesn’t have to work too hard at.

At least, that would be the answer he’d give if somebody asked him.

It was his favorite class, and he looked forward to it every time he had it. Until Michael Jones was transferred into it.

He’d went through the first month of chemistry without knowing anybody in the class, and he was fine with that. It just meant that focusing on the class work and lectures would be easier without friends to distract him. Then Michael Jones had gotten transferred into the class for some reason. He still doesn’t know what that reason is, but he’s heard the students making outrages claims in their gossip that are too ridiculous to be true.

Needless to say, once Michael joined chemistry, Gavin’s found himself slowly drifting away from class more and more. He’d often even find himself staring at Michael or thinking about the boy, even during lectures and tests.

Of course, he’d never admit to that because of how undeniably weird it sounds. He doesn’t even sit next to Michael in the class. He makes sure to sit as far away as he possibly can in fear of accidentally staring or bumping into him. Making a fool out of himself to the most intriguing person he’s ever seen is not high on his list of priorities.

To most, this would sound like an innocent high school crush. But Gavin would rather fail before ever admitting anything along the lines of that.

So, chemistry is a good class, but it’s a little awful when he has to sit so far to the side of the classroom.

He usually likes to sit near the windows, but now Michael sits on that side of the room. Which means that it’s off limits.

Gavin knows that he’d end up just making a fool out of himself. That’s why actually interacting with Michael Jones is the worst idea in the world, and he should stay as far as possible. It’s better to admire from afar than to look like a complete moron up close.

It doesn’t matter what Barbara says, he can’t just go up and talk to him. You wouldn’t be able to pay him enough money to do so. He’s very content with just staying far away from him for the entire school year. No introduction, no communication, no contact, nothing. That’s his plan, and he’s sticking to it.

“Gavin Free!” Mr. Burns calls out, grabbing his attention.

He’s snapped out of his thoughts to see everybody in the classroom looking at him.

“O-Oh,” he stutters, his face turning slightly red, “Yes?”

“I’m discussing the science lab we’re doing to,” he explains slowly, raising an eyebrow at the odd behavior.

It isn’t like Gavin to zone out in class. For the few weeks that he’s been here, he’s been nothing but an attentive student. Mr. Burns has only caught it a few times since Michael joined, but not enough to talk to him after class about it.

“Um, could you start over? I was kind of in another world there for a moment,” he murmurs.

Mr. Burns looks to the ceiling briefly with annoyance but easily complies. This time Gavin makes sure to pay attention to the lesson, but he can’t help himself when his eyes flicker over to Michael every so often.

He’s just quietly sitting at his own desk, listening to the teacher as well. Just casual enough where he’s relaxed against the back of his seat and his head is slightly tipped back with boredom, much like everybody else in the class. He’ll occasionally reach up to fiddle with one of his piercings absentmindedly or glance around the classroom with little interest.

Mr. Burns begins calling out the partners and they begin shuffling around the classroom to sit next to each other. Michael watches halfheartedly as their classmates shuffle around the classroom to sit with their predetermined partner. He only looks up at the teacher when his own name is called.

“Gavin Free,” the teacher states, “You’re with Michael Jones.”

Gavin looks up at the teacher with pure horror written across his face, and looks over at Michael just in time to see him turn around. Their eyes meet and the boy gives him a small smile, just to be polite but it causes Gavin’s insides to explode with warmth.

He must looked horrified, because he can see students turning to whisper to one another out of the corner of his eyes. Maybe he’s lucky that Michael is the scariest kid in school. Everybody just thinks he’s nervous because he’s scared of the guy, not because he’s developed a big dumb crush on him.

Or maybe it’s a bit of both.

So, instead of just sitting there internally freaking out while everybody grows more confused and concerned for his well-being, he stands up and makes his way towards Michael’s desk.

Goddamn, he can’t even handle being an entire classroom’s length away from the guy and now they’re going to be lab partners? He’s screwed. This might be the worst thing that’s happened to him in high school yet.

Which, when he thinks about it, is pretty pathetic. Being paired up with the boy that’s he’s gained an embarrassingly huge crush on in such a short amount of time should not be the end of the world for him. He shouldn’t be frozen up like this in the middle of class and fearing for his entire life.

Michael Jones is just a boy.

A very  _cute_  boy.

A very cute boy who looks like he could snap Gavin like a twig if he makes one wrong move.

Fuck, he’s over thinking this.

As he approaches the desk, Michael watches him with a casual and friendly expression, the only thought running through his head is how dumb he is for freaking out this much.

Maybe he should just calm down a little. People have worked with their crushes before in science projects and everything turned out fine. Of course, their crushes probably aren’t the scariest and toughest guy in school.

"Hey," Michael greets casually, nodding his head in a simple greeting.

Gavin’s eyes widen at the interaction, and can’t help himself when he stumbles over his own words. “H-Hi there.”

Michael raises an eyebrow, turning to look at him fully and Gavin feels his face grow hot at having so much attention from the one person he’s been admiring for who knows how long as this point.

"You alright?"

"Who? Me?" He blurts out, and then turns even redder when he realizes how stupid he must look. "Y-Yeah, yeah, I’m fine."

Michael seems reluctant to believe him. “Are you sure? ‘Cause I could get the teacher to let me walk you to the nurse’s office if you’re feeling sick or something. No offence, but you don’t look so good, man.”

Gavin’s too busy trying to calm himself down to listen.

The first time he’s speaking to Michael Jones and he’s making a damn fool of himself. Just because he has friends, popularity, and good grades, does not mean that he’s gotten any better at casually holding a conversation with those he’s romantically interested in.

Not that he’s romantically interested in Michael. He’s just… curious, for lack of better term.

What’s surprising is that Michael doesn’t seem to take offence to any of this interaction so far. Gavin expects him to be rolling his eyes with annoyance towards this whole scene or telling him to shut up and just start on the project already, but instead he’s staring with concerned eyes, ready to walk with him to the nurses office if he isn’t feeling alright.

When Gavin notices that concern, it flares up something warm deep within him. He may already be retracting his statement earlier about not being romantically interested.

"I’m good, I swear," Gavin reassures, still trying to remain calm after that slight embarrassment. He’s got to get a hold of himself, this is just getting ridiculous.

Michael nods reluctantly, clearly showing that he doesn’t buy Gavin’s lies. He reaches and pulls over the empty desk across from his. It makes a loud and painful screeching noise as it’s dragged across the floor, but stops when it hits Michael’s desk.

"Come on then," he says, gesturing to the desk now beside him, "Sit down."

Gavin quickly does so, not wanting to make a fool out of himself again. That seems to backfire though because Michael smirks at his speed to fulfill the simple command.

"Calm down, dude," he says, amusement laced in his tone as he tries not to snicker. "No need to be so jumpy."

"I’m not jumpy."

"You totally are."

"I’m not. I’m fine."

Michael gives him a look.

"Okay, maybe I/m a little nervous," he admits, sheepishly looking down at the empty desk. He didn’t know how his first conversation with Michael Jones would turn out, but he definitely didn’t think it would be like this. He must look like the biggest dork ever.

"Is that because of how often your staring at me?" The boy asks casually, only letting out a laugh when Gavin gapes at him with horror filled eyes.

"You’ve noticed that?!"

He scoffs but it’s clear that he hasn’t taken any offence to the constant attention he’s been receiving. ”Yeah, you don’t exactly try to hide it.”

"Yes, I do."

"Really? Watching me whenever we’re in the same room as one another and then quickly turning away as soon as I look back, is you trying to hide it?"

Gavin’s cheeks burn with embarrassment and shame. It’s bad enough that’s he’s gained a crush on the guy, but now he’s basically being called out on it and laughed at. At least he isn’t doing it loudly and with cruel names. If anything, Michael just seems amused by it, but Gavin isn’t willing to let his embarrassment be stretched any further than that.

“Sorry,” he says quickly, refusing to meet the boy’s eyes, “I’ll stop.”

“Nah,” Michael relaxes back into his seat with the wave of his hand, “I don’t mind it. Who could really mind getting attention from the most attractive boy in school?”

“I’m not the most attractive boy in school,” Gavin defends immediately, but Michael merely waves his hand again with nonchalance, as though brushing away the words entirely. It isn’t paired with the roll of his eyes or an annoyed expression though, it’s more like he isn’t willing to listen to Gavin putting himself down in any way.

He’s about to continue arguing, but the teacher grabs the classes attention and begins instructing them on what to do. It’s only a brief explanation and Gavin hardly pays attention to it, along with the rest of their classmates who have just started the project anyways. This class is a throwaway once you get the hang of it. Mr. Burns is a pretty slack teacher and lets everybody do whatever they want as long as they get their work done on time. At this point, he’s used to nobody really listening to the lesson plans, especially when it’s already written out in their text books.

Once every pairing in the class has a desk filled with three or four small beakers, filled with various color liquids, their left to do the project on their own as Mr. Burns does work at his desk.

“So, what do we have to do?” Michael asks, looking slightly confused, “Just mix chemicals together?”

“Uh, yeah,” Gavin shrugs, “I suppose that’s the gist of it.”

Michael raises a pierced eyebrow at the few test tubes on their desk, each filled with different colored liquids. “Are they dangerous?”

“Huh? No.”

“Like, they won’t burn through skin or cause you to go blind? Or make you need to get in one of those showers, right?”

Gavin can’t help but smile, no matter how hard he tries to contain it, “It’s just colored water.”

There’s a beat of silence until Michael lets out a bark of laughter at his own stupidity. It’s rather cute. His nose scrunches up and his eyes shine with amusement. Gavin feels shamefully intrigued just by his facial expression, and has to force himself to laugh along instead of just stare.

Michael picks up one of the test tubes, no longer fearing of their threat towards him. “You have to admit, they do look kinda intimidating when colored and in little tubes like this.”

“Yes, because the color green is just so  _horrifying_ ,” Gavin snickers. There’s a small trigger that goes off in his brain, warning him that he’s acting too comfortable around this guy, and teasing him (regardless of how playful it may be) might just end in him getting his face bashed in. But instead, Michael just laughs again, taking it like the stupid joke it was.

“So, what do we have to do?” he asks, “As you can tell, I’m not the greatest with this science-y stuff, but I’m willing to help out wherever I can. Just tell me what to do. You like science, right?”

He turns with a small, but sincere, smile on his face. His expression showing no alternative motive rather than to just do his part in their science project and be considerate to his partner along the way.

“Yeah, they’re actually my favorite classes.”

“Oh yeah?” Michael seems to be genuinely interested, “I’ve always been terrible at it, always just barely scraped by grade-wise. What do you like about it so much?”

“I do enjoy the chemistry side, but I like physics as well. I’m not, like, a total nerd about it or anything, but I do like it more than math or gym.”

Michael just smirks, “What  _do_ you nerd out over then?”

Gavin doesn’t even hesitate before answering. “Slow motion cinematography,” he smiles to himself at the thought, “I’ve been obsessed with it ever since I was little. I could spend hours just watching videos of things exploding and blowing up in slomo. It’s just always fascinated me.”

He attempts to shrug off his answer once he finishes, a hint of pink rushing to his cheeks once he notices how overexcited his own words were. He’s gotten ahead of himself again, but it’s the first time anyone’s ever asked him that question with genuine curiosity for his answer. Excitement over slomo might be something true in him, but it doesn’t mean it’s dignified. Especially in front of Michael Jones.

Michael doesn’t seem to notice his attempts to shrug it off though, and just nods along as though it’s the most interesting thing he’s heard all day. “Have you ever filmed things yourself?”

“No, not yet. I’d like to someday though. Back in England, my friend Dan and I would destroy crazy things in his grandparents backyard. Just because we’re dumb idiots, ya’know? But, I’ve always wanted to film it myself and watch it back. I don’t know,” Gavin shrugs once again, knowing how lame it sounds, “It’s pretty dumb.”

Michael shakes his head, “No, it’s not dumb, it’s cool. I’d certainly watch slow motion videos of things being blown up. It’d be sweet,” he grins, “I think you’ve got yourself a million dollar idea there, Gavin.”

Hearing Michael say his name sends a flurry of butterflies to his stomach, and he has to force himself to not smile or else his face is going to break out into a grin and he’ll just end up making a fool out of himself.

“Thanks,” he murmurs, barely able to speak at a volume any higher than that. Michael turns to him, smiling lopsidedly at his bashfulness.

“Don’t worry about it,” he shrugs, but his own cheeks have a brief tint of pink to them.


	3. Chapter 3

He doesn't tell his friends about it. Not even when he and Michael grow closer and closer with each Chemistry class.

It was genuinely fun. What Gavin thought would be a string of science classes walking on eggshells trying not to annoy Michael, had become filled with actually getting to know him and making silly jokes at one another’s expense. In no time at all, the two were speaking and laughing like they’d known each other for years.

Falling into conversation with Michael was easy. He slipped out of the nervous and worried state so quickly that he hadn’t even realized how comfortable he felt just speaking to him. Just a casual conversation that continued throughout the entirety of every class while they did their project, only stopping to give or listen to instructions.

When class would end, Gavin would be genuinely upset that their time together was over.

Although constant communication isn’t required for the project, Gavin continues to sit in the seat closest to Michael’s. Students stare and whisper, but he doesn’t even notice anymore. He’s too busy talking with the boy, always surprised by how easy he is to carry a conversation with or how similar their brands of humor are.

Their conversations end up a little more flirtatious each and each time. Gavin tries to ignore it though, thinking that it’s only his dumb brain hoping and praying for the inevitable. What good would it be to plant ideas in his own head. Regardless of Gavin shoving away those thoughts, their friendship has grown strong over the course of the chemistry project, which has lasted less than a month in length.

Maybe it’s selfish of him, but he doesn’t want to let Michael go after only just getting to know him so well. A few chemistry classes over the course of three weeks is nothing compared to the amount of time he’d be willing to spend with the guy.

So, Gavin ditches lunch with his friends one day in favor of going to find Michael. He can’t even wait until their next class together to speak with him, he just needs to confirm the continuation of their friendship as soon as possible before he goes mad.

If there’s one thing he doesn’t want to be with Michael Jones, it’s his one-time lab partner that he never speaks to again afterword.

Just being around Michael made him wonder why he was ever so scared of him to begin with. He’s a cool guy, and he’s a lot like Gavin’s own friends.

For a few days, he wondered to himself why Michael wasn’t already within his group of friends before he’d even arrived. But, it’s quite clear once he actually looks at Michael in comparison to himself.

They’re polar opposites in every way.

Not exactly two people you would expect to be friends.

The thought makes Gavin’s heart sink. Not just because his internal thoughts have become rather judge-y, but because it just proves how un-right he and Michael are for one another. Even if Gavin were to someday want to  _date_ Michael Jones, it’d never work out. Would Michael want to date a guy like him? Of course not. He’d want somebody that just as pierced up and (supposedly) tattooed as he is. There’s no way Gavin would ever fit that category. He’s a thin British kid that plays American football, that’s the complete opposite of Michael’s type, and he’s aware of that. If nothing, he’s content to be friends with the guy.

That doesn’t stop Gavin’s heart from beating fast when he finds him in the hallway though.

Most of the students are either in the lunch room or outside during lunch, the hallways are usually deserted. Gavin’s always wondered where Michael’s sneaked off to during lunch, and apparently it’s the quiet and privacy of looking out a window on the main hallway, with earphones blaring music to keep him entertained.

“Hi, Michael!” Gavin tries to grab his attention, but it’s clear he hasn’t been heard.

He taps him once on the shoulder, but Michael turns around immediately, confused as to who could be interrupting his lunch break. When he see’s Gavin, he smiles and pauses the music while his phone is still resting on the window ledge.

“Hey, Gav,” he greets pleasantly, “What are you doing?”

“Nothing really, just figured I’d come find you. You sure do know how to hide yourself from the others, huh?”

“Eh, I prefer the quiet,” he shrugs. Gavin doesn’t bother pointing out that it couldn’t have been  _too_ quiet if he could hear music coming from his earbuds quite a few feet away. “But, I meant why? Don’t you usually spend lunch with your jock and cheerleader buddies?”

“They won’t miss me for one day. And I kind of wanted to hang out with you for once, outside of the chemistry classroom. If you don’t mind, that is.”

“Okay,” Michael nods, seeming pleasantly surprised at this information, “Yeah, it’s cool, stay as long as you like.”

“What are you listening to?” Gavin asks to break the silence before it starts, peering over at the phone on the window ledge, even though it’s dark screen is clearly not revealing anything.

Michael grins, amusement in his eyes as he pulls out his earphone. “You wanna find out?”

“Uh, sure,” he says, despite his better judgement warning him against it. He doesn’t know why listening to Michael’s music could be such a terrifying idea, but it may have something to do with that look on Michael’s face as he holds out his earphones.

Gavin cautiously takes them, debating on if he should back out or not. What could be so intimidating about music? It isn’t like Michael’s listening to the sounds of creepy religious rituals or Halloween soundtracks of creaking floorboards and children crying.

“Here, I’ll restart it for you,” Michael interrupts his thoughts while unlocking his phone.

As soon as Gavin puts in the earphones, he just hears the silence of waiting for the song to start. Michael’s watching him with a raised eyebrow and smirk though, as if he’s just waiting for something inevitable to happen. Then it very abruptly does, loud music blasts through the tiny device, absolutely scaring the shit out of Gavin and makes him visibly jump with fear due to both it’s volume and the intensity of the song.

He’s heard of screamo music before, but he’s never actually listened to or had much interest in it.

As he tries to regain his breath after such a scare, he sees Michael’s head rolling back with laughter. His individual piercings reflecting in the hallway’s dim florescent lights. There are even tears prickling his eyes, truly showing how entertaining he thinks the reaction was.

“It’s not funny!” Gavin screams much louder than he intended to. The music blaring in his ears making him forget about the quiet hallway actually surrounding the two of them.

Michael reaches forward to take the earphones back, still laughing at his expense. Gavin thinks it would sound weak if he mentioned that his ears are still ringing.

“Didn’t like it, I take it. Probably just a  _bit_  too hardcore for you.”

“No!” Gavin immediately defends, although it’s clear to the both of them that he’s lying. “I liked it. It was cool.”

“Are you sure?” Michael continues to taunt, “I might have something more your speed on here. I think I downloaded a Taylor Swift album for my little sister once.”

“Oh,  _ha-ha_. You’re  _so_ hilarious,” he continues sarcastically, considering reaching forward to take the earphones back to prove his point. But, he doesn’t really want to risk having to listen to the music again. He doesn’t even remember much about it other than the fact that it practically gave him a heart attack, and he’s too young to die. “But, I did like it.”

“Shut up, you don’t have to like the music I like. It’s fine. We’re still gonna be friends even if you practically cry when wearing my earphones.”

“I didn’t cry!”

“Sure you didn’t.”

“You’re a jerk.”

“Eh, sometimes,” Michael shrugs, still grinning. He attempts to make it look mocking and obnoxious, but Gavin can’t fathom how he still manages to look attractive no matter what kind of facial expression he’s wearing.

“So… we’re still friends?”

“What?”

“You said we’d still be friends even if I cried.”

“Yeah, so what?”

“I figured you wouldn’t really want to talk to me again after the chemistry project ended.”

“Of course not, why would I throw you away now once I’ve already gotten an A,” he says, and then smiles, “I could probably squeeze some more good grades out of you.”

“Shut up,” Gavin chuckles, “I’m being serious.”

“So am I. If you’re worried about me completely ditching you after a science project, then you have no worries. If anything, I think it’s the beginning of our friendship,” he says, and then turns with an added thought, “If you want, of course.  _Do_  you want?”

“Yeah, I… do want.”

Michael just laughs at the awkward wording. “But if I ever am having trouble with another science project, then it wouldn’t do much harm to ask for your help, right?”

“Of course. We were pretty good partners.”

“Yeah, a damn good team if I do say so myself,” Michael smiles, “I’m glad we got partnered together.”

“Oh please, you’re just saying that because I’m good at chemistry and you would have failed without my help.”

Michael raises both his hands in a playful I-surrender gesture before continuing. “Not denying that, but I do like you.  _A lot_.”

The smile drops off of Gavin’s face immediately. Michael turned the conversation so casually that it’s completely stunned him and has rendered him speechless. He’s been priding himself recently on his communication skills with the guy. When they’d first met, he could barely speak a proper sentence, but by the end of this project they’ve become almost like friends and any fear he’s felt towards Michael has slowly faded away. It’s hard to think of him as that slightly terrifying hardcore kid in the hallways anymore. Now he’s just Michael Jones, his lab partner. The guy who’s funny and attractive and perfect in every way.

And now Michael likes him.  _A lot_.

“A-A lot?” Gavin manages to stutter out, barely able to meet the other’s eyes.

“Uh, yeah,” he confirms, at least attempting to look shy, although it’s clear he’s only amused by Gavin’s reaction. Only acting bashful for his benefit. “Probably as  _more_  than just friends, actually. I wouldn’t mind if we actually hung out again. Ya’know… now that the project is over.”

“You mean as a…” he stops before speaking the word. Luckily, Michael catches on and smiles before finishing it for him.

“Yeah, as a date. If you would like, that is.”

Gavin’s struck into silence again. It’s embarrassing to admit, but he’s been practically imagining Michael saying those words, or returning his unspoken feelings, for a while now. Actually hearing him say them out loud makes him fear that he’s just having a really realistic dream. He’s too busy focusing on his initial confusion and shock to realize that he’s been quiet this entire time, while Michael’s been waiting for an answer.

“It’s okay if you wanna say no, man. Don’t be frightened or some shit to turn me down. I’m not gonna put out a hit on you or anything.” It’s said with the same carefree and playfulness that most of his words are, as though asking somebody out isn’t such a huge deal. But, he’s probably just realizing how completely horrified Gavin looks right now and wants to shed some humor on the situation before it turns awkward.

“Are… you sure?”

Michael raises a pierced eyebrow, “Of what? Asking you out or not putting a hit out on you?”

To avoid having to say the first out loud, he instead settles on a very eloquent, “Erm, both.”

Michael pretends to think for a few moments, a corner of his mouth twitched up with amusement. “Yeah,” he finally says with a nod, “I’m quite confident in both.”

“You’re asking me out?”

“Have we not already established this?”

“I’m just confirming.”

“Again?”

“Yes, don’t blame me. It’s kind of hard to believe.”

“What? Me wanting to date you?”

“You liking me in that way at all.”

“Eh, you’re cute” he shrugs with joking nonchalance, “Smart, funny, I’m able to look past the nose thing-“

“Hey!”

“-And I like you. What’s so hard to believe about that?” he asks with genuine confusion, leaning forward only slightly as though to better hear the response. Gavin wants to lean in too, if only to be closer to him for no reason other than to bask in the reality of how deep he’s already sank into his pre-existing crush on the boy. But he doesn’t, because he knows that would be weird. No need to lose the guy before he’s even got him.

Gavin considers telling him the truth and going on a long spiel about how he and Michael don’t exactly look like a match made in heaven. How Michael shouldn’t really have any interest in him and should be going after somebody that’s just as “hardcore” as he is.

He’s liked the guy for a long time now. He’d like to say that it was only when they’d became friends due to their lab partnership, but it may have been longer. Maybe even as far back as when he’d first caught a glimpse of the boy in the hallway. Not that he’d ever admit that to Michael though.

Why would he ruin everything his tiny heart has been quietly hoping for by slapping Michael in the face with reality? Sure, he’ll probably realize the mistake he’s made eventually, but for now, can’t Gavin just enjoy the ride before the inevitable crash?

He just shyly nods his head in agreement towards Michael’s original question. His cheeks are burning red and he finds it hard to meet eyes. He must look like such an idiot. Michael himself can’t hold back a smile as he tries to casually respond.

“Cool.”

A comfortable silence passes between them for a moment, and Michael peers over at Gavin to see him biting his lip. Trying his hardest not to speak or make a fool out of himself with his own enthusiasm so soon.

Michael smirks knowingly, “So, I guess you’re my  _boyfriend_  now.”

Gavin’s eyes widen and a grin stretches across his face as the reality of those words sink in. He’s actually dating Michael Jones. For real. He’s probably overreacting, but he just can’t help it. Especially when Michael is giving him that cheesy smile.

“Boyfriend?” he practically squeals, his voice raising a pitch. Michael rolls his eyes and lets out an amused and exaggerated sigh. “We’re boyfriends. You just called me your boyfriend,” he continues, still grinning cheekily.

“I know what I said.”

“It’s officially official then. We’re dating. I’m your boyfriend.”

“And I thought  _I_  was a dork,” he pretends to be annoyed, “You are definitely the lame one in this relationship.”

“Relationship!”

“Yes, okay! Boyfriends, dating, relationship. That all okay with you?”

Gavin simply steps towards him and wraps his arms around his neck. Bringing them close together than they’ve ever been before. It’s a new feeling, but the furthest thing from an unwelcome one. “More than okay.”

“You’re cute.” Michael smiles at him.

“I aim to please.”

And thus, what had begun as a conversation about their new friendship continuing, had ended as a conversation about their new relationship beginning.


	4. Chapter 4

“So, I have something I want to tell you guys,” Gavin says, upon first walking up to the lunch table.

All of his friends are already sitting with their lunches, confusion on their faces as to why their friend is five minutes late to lunch. It’s his favorite time of the day, especially when it’s “ _French Fry Friday_ ” (as the school calls it), the one time of the week where they have french fries on the menu.

He’s late because he hasn’t had chemistry today, and he was determined to talk to Michael and ask him if it’d be okay if he told his friends about their relationship status.

It’s been over two weeks since he and Michael had gotten together, but it’s only today that he’s decided to spill the beans to his friends. They’ve been keeping it a secret, but not in fear of the social backlash, but just because they wanted to keep it their own for a while. Instead of spending that time hearing gossip and rumors spreading around the school, they were much more content to just sit next to one another in chemistry class.

Just getting to know one another better, making dumb jokes, and doing class work together. Things that looked to be nothing more than a growing friendship with a few more lingering touches, stares, and smiles.

Gavin’s been slightly worried of his friend’s reactions though. Of course, they only want what’s best for Gavin and have his best interests in mind, but their early comments on Michael have left him feeling a little unsure.

They’d both agreed that maybe it was an okay time to let other people know. Michael isn’t exactly known as a people person with dozens of friends, but Gavin certainly is, and he has no problem with his boyfriend wanting to tell them all.

“What is it?” Lindsay asks.

“And where were you? Don’t you realize that it’s French Fry Friday?” Geoff questions, popping a fry into his mouth as if to further his statement.

“I’m getting to that,” Gavin says, still not joining them at the table just yet. He doesn’t really know if he can sit down for news this big. Maybe he’s just overreacting, but him having his first boyfriend is a huge deal to him, and he hopes that telling his friends about it isn’t going to end negatively. What if they’re mad at him for not telling them, or what if they think Michael’s too good for him? Or maybe they just entirely hate Michael and think that he’s dangerous, which is an understandable thought. His boyfriend doesn’t exactly look like the safest person to be around until you get to know him. “I just wanted to tell you guys that…”

He peers at their expectant faces, and awaiting his ‘news’ with confused or anticipating glances. Normally they would be joking and mocking him for wanting to make a serious announcement of some sort, but they must have spotted both the mixture of worry and excitement on his face. Both eager to tell them the news and worried of their reactions.

“I’m dating Michael Jones,” he blurts out quickly, taking the ‘rip it off quick, like a band-aid’ approach. “I’ve got a boyfriend.”

“What!?” Barbara is the first to exclaim, immediately after the words leave his mouth.

“Holy shit!”

“That’s awesome, Gav!”

Relief spreads through his entire body and he even has to let out a sigh as he closes his eyes. A few of them even jump out of their seats, wanting to show their approval by giving him a firm and reassuring hug.

It isn’t long before the congratulations wear off though, and as soon as he’s sat down, he’s being bombarded with questions. Not like he’s surprised though, knowing that a lot of his friends consist of serial gossipers. Gavin doesn’t even mind it though. He answers all of their questions with a constant smile on his face, still buzzing with elation over their positive reactions. This could have gone so much worse. He wants to pat himself on the back for getting such a good group of nonjudgmental and supportive friends.

They ask him various questions about how they’d gotten to meet, their friendship, the chemistry project, and then how they’d ended up dating. The girls were very interested in his learning more about him, already finding Michael Jones both fascinating and attractive, and even squealed when they demanded information on his kissing abilities. Michael’s got that whole dark and brooding look about him, as though he could be a teen model for an eyeliner commercial or something. It’s no surprise that the two girls are interested in him. Hot-bad-boys is a type after all, and he knows that Lindsay and Barbara are guilty for it. It just isn’t one that Gavin ever imagined himself being into.

Gavin hasn’t even noticed Geoff’s silence throughout the conversation. He’d given his immediate congratulations like everybody else, but was quiet otherwise. Listening to the tiny Q and A session with suspicion laced in his eyes. It’s only once Barbara nudges him that he finally speaks up and says something.

“He’s totally a witch, dude,” Geoff suddenly says between a mouthful of fries. The disgusted looks he gets from the others at the table does nothing to stop him though, and he simply reaches for another handful to shove into his mouth.

Needless to say, it’s a confusing something, but at least it isn’t disgust or sudden hatred. Nor is it an attempt to disown Gavin from being his “baby-bird,” as he’d jokingly put it before.

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?"

"Michael. Your precious little boyfriend. He’s a witch," he repeats, his eyes widening in mock seriousness.

"Shut up, you’re so obnoxious,” Gavin grins, not taking his words seriously in the slightest, “I came here with news of my new relationship in hopes to share that happiness with some of you. Not be made fun of."

Lindsay smiles comfortingly but still rolls her eyes, “Geoff’s just scared that you’re being stolen away from him, doesn’t want his baby-bird to leave the nest so soon. Michael seems like a cool guy,  _but_  he better not take all of your attention away from us. We’re still your friends, you know.”

Gavin laughs, “Of course not. Don’t even worry about that. I’m glad that you all approve though, I was kind of worried that you’d all flip out.”

“Nah, it was pretty obvious that you liked the guy.”

“No it wasn’t!”

“Oh please, we’ve heard the rumors of you two acting a little more than buddy-buddy in chemistry class. What, you think the entire student body just closes their eyes when you start flirting with a boy?”

“I wasn’t flirting!”

“You totally were, but don’t worry. Michael’s pretty damn cute, I don’t blame you for not being able to keep your hands off him,” Barbara grins, nudging him with her elbow. She needs to stop using those things as weapons so often, Gavin’s stomach has been bruised more than once by her powerful elbows.

"We’re happy for you,” Lindsay continues.

"Happy and  _concerned_ ,” Ray mumbles into his own lunch.

"What does that mean?" Gavin asks, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

Ray seems reluctant to meet his eyes, clearly his words were not meant to be heard. “I mean…,” he trails off, unsure of how to phrase this without sounding like an asshole, “I’m happy for you and everything, it’s just that Michael Jones is…”

"He means that Michael is a weird kid,” Geoff cuts in, not bothering to put it lightly. “Nobody really knows anything about him and now suddenly you two are dating? It’s just a little odd."

"How is that odd?"

"Ray, back me up here," Geoff turns to the youngest boy, "Michael is strange. He doesn’t have any friends and he doesn’t really socialize with anybody. It’s been this way since middle school when he moved here from New Jersey."

"It’s true," Ray confirms, "Total lone wolf."

Gavin furrows a brow, “So what? He’s got me now.”

"Which is what’s so weird about this!" Geoff exclaims, "Why would he suddenly be so eager to come out of the shadows and date the popular football playing British kid? It just doesn’t make any sense. Something is going on here."

"I hate to say it, but I agree," Ray shrugs.

"What?! That’s preposterous! There’s nothing going on. We’re just dating because we like one a other, simple as that. Do you really think it’s so weird for Michael to actually be interested in me?"

"No, of course n-" Lindsay is cut off by Geoff.

"Yes! It’s extremely fucking weird! That kid is up to something sketchy and I don’t trust him."

"But I just don’t understand. Why would he be up to something? What could he possibly be planning to do?"

"I don’t know, but probably some weird voodoo shit."

"Voodoo?" Gavin asks, disbelief across his features.

"Yeah, I bet he honestly is a witch. I bet he’s got one of those pointy hats and pet frogs and everything. His bedroom probably has a cauldron in it and a book full of spells and hexes."

Lindsay gives him a rough shove, “Stop being an idiot. You sound like a paranoid middle schooler that’s scared of cooties. Gavin has a boyfriend and that’s great. He’s happy about it, stop trying to freak him out with bullshit.”

"Maybe he  _is_  a witch,” Ray murmurs, eyes going wide when everybody turns to stare at him, “What? I’m just saying. It makes a lot more sense than Michael actually wanting to date you. Does he look like the kind of guy that would willingly date one of his high school’s popular football players without any secret motive?”

"Don’t listen to those idiots, Gavin," Barbara reassures and places an arm on his shoulder. "You’ve got a new boyfriend and that’s  _great_. Don’t let them convince you otherwise.”

"We’re just looking out for the fucker," Geoff points his plastic fork at her as if to better get across his point, "Michael Jones is hiding something and I’m prepared to kick his ass when this entire thing goes to shit."

"I bet he’s got something hidden up those sleeves of his. Probably a plot to turn you into a stew. Or make you into one of his pet frogs! I hear being good at football is a very desired trait amongst frogs. If he pulls this off successfully, he could get a fortune out if you."

"That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard."

"I bet he’s done it before," Ray interjects, "This probably isn’t the first time he’s tricked some poor British sap into dating him."

"Hey!" Gavin complains, but he’s easily ignored by the others who are arguing over this stupid conversation and its credibility.

"You know… I do remember a guy last year. Caleb Denecour. Bright kid, promising future," Geoff reminisces, "But then one day he just went missing. Out of nowhere. Nobody ever saw him again. I still hear rumors that the last anyone’s seen of him, he was talking to Michael Jones."

"Caleb and his family moved to Ohio last year, you idiot," Barbara scoffs.

"That’s what everyone wants you to think, Barbara! You’re falling for the ruse!"

"This is probably the most ridiculous and stupid conversation this group has ever had," Lindsay rolls her eyes.

"Even worse than when Gavin asked about if legs knew they were legs?"

"Yes."

*

Michael beams at him as soon as he enters the chemistry room, but Gavin’s still feeling unsure from the time spent with his friends at lunch. Students slowly begin spilling into the classroom after lunchtime, but he likes to get there early to spend a little more time with Michael. Mr. Burns rarely ever gets to class on time, always running in late with a half-empty cup of Starbucks and binders with papers spilling out. The students are grateful for it though, it gives them a few minutes to socialize before class starts.

Michael and Gavin have especially taken advantage of this time. Chemistry is the only time they really get to talk to one another outside of texting and the occasional times that Gavin will spend lunch with him. He’d tried to avoid it as much as possible though, not wanting his friends to become suspicious.

Gavin’s still deep in thought as he takes his seat next to Michael, placing his text book on the desk haphazardly.

“So, how’d you friends take it?”

“Uh, take what?” he asks, the question only just snapping him out of his own thoughts.

“Us dating. You said you were going to tell them today.”

“Oh, um, yeah. They… they took it alright,” he murmurs, his eyebrows furrowed as he thinks back to Geoff’s reaction, “I think.”

Michael raises an eyebrow, “Do I need to go kick some ass?”

“What? No. It was fine, they gave congratulations and everything. Then they proceeded to pester me with questions about you. We basically spent the entire lunchtime talking about you.”

“All good things, I hope,” Michael jests.

Gavin smiles, “Yeah, the girls were quite eager to know about your kissing skills.”

He leans back with laughter, and the sound causes Gavin to forget all about Geoff’s ridiculous words from earlier. Michael has the ability to do that with just a simple smile or cheesy joke. Any worry or doubt about the whole “Michael Jones is a witch” thing has entirely dissipated, and he’s content to spend the rest of chemistry class just hanging out with Michael.

Damn, it’s only been two weeks are he’s in  _deep._

“Would you like me to refresh your memory? I’m willing to take one for the team and kiss you again,” his boyfriend offers cheekily, grateful for the freedom if being able to kiss him in public.

“Thanks, I know it’s such a chore,” he mutters, trying his hardest to look annoyed through the smiles.

Michael shrugs, “You’re worth it though.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Extremely minor mentions of sex

“First, he’s gonna invite you over to his house, when nobody's home, because that's the easiest time for him to strike,” Geoff describes, as the other listen intently. Their expressions each a mixture of amusement and disbelief.

 

“Then you’re going to see that his bedroom is like something straight out of Blair Witch Project. There’ll be magic books, and brooms, and wands, cauldrons, and dozens of frogs. All of them being his past victims. One will leap besides you, and when it looks up at you with it’s big froggy eyes, it’s gonna pipe out in a squeaky British accent, ‘ _Save yourself, Gavin Free! Don’t be forced into a life of frog solitude!_ ’ But it’ll be too late. Michael Jones will grab you and toss your skinny twig ass into his magic cauldron, and before you know it, you’ll be a slimy green reptile.”

“Frogs are amphibians, you idiot,” Lindsay rolls her eyes at him.

 

“I don’t pay attention in Biology, Linds! And that’s not the point. The point is that Gavin is soon going to be living a new life as a frog. He’ll have to change his name to something that starts with F. Like Frank. Frank the Frog,” he says, and then turns to Gavin, “This is your future, Gav.”

 

At least it brings some entertainment to their lunch, and they always end the conversation by laughing and whatever crazy theory he's come up this time, sometimes even joining in with mocking suggestions. Gavin’s only slightly annoyed by it, but he finds it equally as funny as they do. It’s hard not to laugh when Geoff’s joking like this at his expense. But, at the moment, they’re still in the early stages of this conversation, where they can just listen with disbelief and the inability to fully fathom what’s being said. It’s only once the stories and ideas get crazier and more obscure with time that they’ll laugh or (occasionally) join in with the joke.

 

“Shut up,” he says, shoving his friend’s shoulder roughly because he doesn't know what else he could do in reaction to Geoff’s words. “You’re being ridiculous.”

 

“I am not. Your precious witch-boyfriend has plans for you, and they aren't just innocent plans to have idle small talk with you in chemistry class for the rest of the year. Does Michael Jones look like the kind of kid that would get a boyfriend just to do that with them? No, and I’m gonna tell you what he wants to do with you. And it all begins with F.”

 

Gavin raises an eyebrow, his face almost expressionless as he can’t believe this entire conversation is still occurring. But yet, here they are, the fourth lunch in a row where Geoff has brought up his absurd theories on how Michael is some supernatural being with powers to turn British teenage football players into frogs.

 

“Fucking him?” Barbara guesses, seeming bored with this conversation.

 

“No, Barbara, don’t be crude,” he scolds, then turns back to the boy in question. “Frogs. You’re gonna be a goddamn frog.”

 

“I’m not a frog,” Gavin states.

 

“Not yet, you aren't! But, if you continue down the road of dating Michael Jones, your slimy future is inevitable. You could get out now if you wanted. Then you could continue living your life as a carefree teenage British idiot with a big nose. Not sure why you’d want to, but that’s your business,” he shrugs, then looks him in the eyes with such seriousness that Gavin isn't sure if he’s joking anymore or not. “If you break up with Michael now, there might still be hope for you.”

 

“I’m not going to break up with Michael. Especially not over your crackpot theories on witches and frogs.”

 

Geoff merely shrugs and leans back against his seat. “Don’t say I didn’t warn ya', kid.”

 

And although Gavin knows that this entire thing is just some joke with an unspoken punchline, he can’t help the fact that it settles into the back of his mind and refuses to leave. Everything that Michael says or does makes him worried that it could further feed into the witch thing.

 

And it all kind of makes sense.

 

Well, not the actual witch part, but the fact that he’s dating Gavin because of an ulterior motive.

 

He likes Michael, he genuinely does, but the humiliation of being used or played makes him want to curl up in a ball and never go to chemistry class again. His heart breaks at the idea of Michael admitting that the entire thing was a ruse and then laughing in his face. It scares him how easily he’s able to imagine it.

 

The more he thinks about it, the more likely it seems, and it’s all Gavin thinks about throughout the entirety of chemistry class. He pays no attention to Mr. Burns lesson, fading in and out of thoughts on Michael. But this time they don’t consist of how attractive he is or how much he wants to kiss him again, instead it’s thoughts on what Michael’s ulterior motive could be.

 

What interest could Michael Jones have in him, really? Yes, they get along well and he’s sure he’s still just as starstruck as the day they’d first met eyes, but there must be more to it than that. Michael must be trying to get something out of this, it doesn't make any sense otherwise. A guy like Michael doesn't just  _go_  for guys like Gavin unless there’s something else there. But Gavin can’t for the life of him figure out what it could be.

 

It isn't like he has anything to offer, and he hasn't been offering anything yet that could be of benefit. All they've been doing is talking, keeping one another company, and sharing in laughter over silly jokes. Michael isn't exactly known for being a social butterfly, and he doesn't actually have any friends, so it would make sense that he’s just eager to have somebody close to him. But if that was all Michael wanted, then they could have just remained friends. Dating wouldn't have been necessary.

 

He couldn't be attempting to climb up the social ladder or sabotage the “popular kids” (as Geoff had suggested only a few days ago). Gavin’s offered him a place at their lunch table a few times, but Michael’s always politely declined, saying that he wouldn't want to intrude or make things awkward. Maybe someday he’ll hang out with them, but for now he says that he’s content to just hang out with Gavin one-on-one. Which he’s totally alright with, the more time he gets Michael to himself the better.

 

Whatever it is, the crushing misery in Gavin’s heart overtakes most of his thoughts.

 

He can’t even be bothered to think through any more legitimate reasons for Michael’s deceit. The most likely one he’s come into contact with so far is that Michael is legitimately a witch. It makes more sense than any of his other personal theories, even though it’s incredibly stupid and impossible, it’s the only thing his mind can latch onto. In his opinion, it’s better to be worried and nervous around Michael, than to be constantly waiting for the inevitable reveal that the entire relationship was a sham (for whatever reason.)

 

Gavin tries his hardest to just forget about the whole 'Michael-witch-fake-dating-thing' for now, attempting to shove it out of his mind entirely. Of course, this is easier said than done. Luckily, he's able to hold it together whenever he and Michael spend time together, leaving the boy not to suspect a thing.

 

It isn't until chemistry class, a week later, that he has to worry about it again.

 

“We're having a test next week,” Mr. Burns announces to the class, “It will consist of all of the material we've gone over the last two months, so I suggest you study as often as possible. Seeing as there's only five minutes left, you can converse amongst yourselves until the end of class.”

 

Michael immediately turns to Gavin, slowly packing up his books, “Do you want to study together?”

 

“What? Right now?”

 

“No, you idiot,” he rolls his eyes, “After school. My folks are working late tonight so you could come over to mine and we could just study. It'd be easier with you there to help, I'm still pretty hopeless when it comes to chemistry.”

 

Gavin chuckles along with him, but insides, he's panicking.

 

When most people are invited by their boyfriends to spend the day at their house, all by themselves, they might be worried too, but not because they have an irrational fear that their boyfriend is a witch wanting to turn them into a frog stew.

 

“We can just hang out too, if you want,” he adds with a shrug, “We don't have to study the entire time.”

 

“Oh yeah? What does  _Michael Jones_  do while hanging out?” Gavin teases, “Smash mailboxes? Steal candy from children? Hex innocent people? Spray paint curse words on the sides of public buildings?”

 

“Study,” Michael smiles, “We’re going to study. I’m almost offended by your assumptions though. I’ll have you know that I've never had interest in doing any of those things.”

 

“Really? Not even one?”

 

“Well, maybe one or two. But, that’s a story for another day,” he smirks at his boyfriend before putting the car into drive.

 

It doesn't help Gavin’s nerves any more.

 

*

 

Surprisingly enough, when they arrive at Michael’s house after school, it’s a very normal looking place. There’s no broken windows, rickety floorboards, cobwebs, or tiny insects scattering around the floor. Nor is it made of gingerbread, gumdrops, and candy. It’s just an average everyday family home, the complete opposite of what Geoff made it out to be.

Gavin’s cautious as soon as he walks through the front door, which is being held open for him by Michael.

 

“So, this is my house. It’s pretty boring, my mom tries to keep it as tidy as possible so don’t be weirded out by it’s cleanliness,” he jokes.

 

Gavin shouldn't be so nervous to be in his boyfriend's home. Most people would be excited to be left in a house alone with their boyfriend. Gavin isn't, and it isn't even for legitimate reasons. He's honestly worried that Michael is going to reveal that his house is actually some crazy madhouse where he lures in unsuspecting British boys and turns them into stew. Gavin doesn't really want to give Geoff the satisfaction of scaring him with the whole “frog” part.

 

“This is the kitchen,” he gives him a tiny tour, “Ignore the clutter on the table, it's the only place my father is allowed to make a mess without my mom getting annoyed. He uses it as his own office for work even though he has an actual office upstairs.”

 

It's covered with various papers, writing utensils, and a laptop with a black screen. There's even an old half-empty cup of coffee.

 

“And, this is the living room,” he gestures, “Again, ignore all of the mess, this is the room my little sister hangs out in most often.”

 

It's filled with DVD's and games scattered around the floor, and a TV that is paused on a game of 'Just Dance.'

 

Both rooms make Gavin feel a little bit better, knowing that Michael has an actual family.

 

“Mom likes to keep the house clean,” Michael repeats, “but it's hard to keep up with the messy people that my dad and sis are. Luckily for her, I keep my mess within my room.”

 

“Where's your family now?”

 

“My parents are still at work, and my sister's over to a friend's house. They won't be back until later though, so we'll have the house to ourselves for a while.”

 

“That's cool,” Gavin says, distracted as he looks around the house during the walk.

 

Maybe it's stupid, but he's extremely paranoid at the moment. Keeping a constant eye out for anything out of the ordinary. His paranoia is quite evident on his face as he quietly walks beside Michael, nervously looking around as though the house is haunted. It doesn't help that his body is on high alert, preparing to brace itself for an attack or a 'turn-Gavin-into-a-frog' spell. Whatever that means.

 

He's never been  _this_  alone with Michael, and he knows he should be fine with it. In fact, it's something he would have been excited about. But because of Geoff, he's only been here for two minutes and he's already on edge.

 

"Are you alright?"

 

Gavin jumps slightly at the hand Michael places on his shoulder. Composing himself just in time to ask, "Who? Me?"

 

"No, my  _other_  British boyfriend," he scoffs sarcastically, but soon turns to concern "Are you sure you're okay? I can drop you off at home if you don't want to be here or anything."

 

"No! No, I'm fine. Cool as a cucumber."

 

"Cool as a cucumber," Michael repeats slowly. "That is not something somebody says when they're fine."

 

"Just... stop worrying, okay?" he tries to smile reassuringly. "Everything's great."

 

"Gav, I'm gonna fucking worry about you. You look like you've seen a ghost."

 

He just chuckles nervously in an attempt to shoo the conversation away. "Where's your room? Is it on this floor?"

 

Michael eyes him, clearing not wanting to drop the subject but allowing it to slide for now. "It's upstairs.”

 

Gavin tries to calm himself as they make their way up. He must look like a complete idiot, internally freaking out over nothing.

 

Michael continues the short tour once they reach the top of the stairs, which leads to a hallway. He lazily gestures to each closed door they pass, and states what room it is or who owns it.

 

The walls are decorated with picture frames, photos of different stages of Michael and another young girl's life. He smiles whenever they pass a new one, finding the innocence of them cute. Michael looks so different in them, which shouldn't be a surprise since he's a teenager now, but it's so odd to see him without piercings and dark clothes.

 

Studying each photo takes his mind off of his nerves and fears, so he's grateful for the distraction.

 

Gavin's stops entirely to stare at (what has immediately become) his favorite picture of the bunch. A young Michael with curly reddish-brown hair (that's clearly long overdue for a haircut) and freckled chubby cheeks is wearing blue overalls over a blue striped T-shirt. His arms are wrapped around a younger girl, who's blonde hair is pulled into two pigtails and her legs are kicking out wildly from underneath a pink dress. Both are laughing and looking at the camera, as though they're having a great time.

 

It makes Gavin smile, to see Michael looking so young and adorable.

 

“Do you have a good relationship with your family?” Gavin asks, curious to know more about Michael's home life.

 

“Yeah, they're all pretty great. They're family, of course, so they're annoying a lot, but ya'know,” he shrugs, smirking when he sees the picture his boyfriend is studying. “My sister's name is Lillian.”

 

“How old is she now?”

 

“Fourteen, but she acts like she's twenty.”

 

Gavin chuckles, looking back to the picture. “You were cute.”

 

Michael scoffs, “Of course I was. Look at those cheeks, I look like a little chipmunk.”

 

“The cutest chipmunk in the world,” he teases, reaching over to pinch one of Michael's cheek.

 

He just laughs and shoves his hand away by taking it in his own, turning the action from playful to affectionate.

 

“Come on,” Michael says, pulling him towards the last door on the right, “this is my room.”

 

So far it doesn't look intimidating. It's just a plain white door, like all of the others in the hallway. But Geoff's words echo through his head once again, reminding him that maybe he shouldn't feel so comfortable after all.

 

“ _...his bedroom is like something straight out of Blaire Witch Project. There’ll be magic books, and brooms, and wands, cauldrons, and dozens of frogs. All of them being his past victims.”_

 

"Wait,” Gavin stops him as soon as his hand touches the doorknob. “Before we go in, what does your room  _look_  like."

 

Michael raises an eyebrow, "You can see for yourself if you want. We're literally standing right outside the doorway."

 

"I just... It's not... scary? Is it?"

 

He blinks in confusion at such an absurd question. "Scary? It's a bedroom."

 

"What's in it?"

 

"Uh. A bed?" He says unsure, confused as to why Gavin would be asking such an absurd question in the first place.

 

"What else?"

 

"Um, a television, dresser, I've heard rumors of a desk," he lists off sarcastically.

 

Gavin nods, seriously considering it for a moment before deciding. "Alright, lets go in."

 

"No, wait," Michael stops him from reaching out for the door knob, "What the hell is going on."

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"Why would... I.... What the fuck. You know exactly what I mean. What's going on with you?"

 

"Absolutely nothing!"

 

"Do you not normally know what is in a bedroom?"

 

Gavin lets out a dramatic sigh, "Of course I do, ya' nob. I just... didn't know what would be in  _your_  bedroom."

 

Michael almost takes a step back. "What do  _think_  is in my bedroom?"

 

"Nothing, let's just go in, alright?"

 

Michael continues to look at him funny, but lets his hand go anyways, allowing him to open up the door and enter the room.

 

Gavin braces himself for the worst as he enters. Every single evil stereotypical witch thing that Geoff had planted into his brain and convinced him would be there, actually wasn't.

 

It was just a normal room.

 

In fact, it reminded Gavin a lot of his own room. The bed unmade, some dirty clothes scattered about and hanging out of the laundry basket. A large TV screen with an Xbox next to it. There is a desk in the far corner, holding a laptop and a pile of papers, presumably old school work.

 

No cauldrons or pet frogs anywhere in sight.

 

Nothing about it screams "witch" or "evil boy that tricks others into dating him so he can turn them into frog stew."

 

It looks like any other bedroom owned by a teenage boy.

 

A hand on his shoulder makes him jump, clearly still feeling anxious. One would think that Michael's room being proved as normal would clear this whole witch thing from his brain, but apparently he isn't that lucky.

 

Michael removes his hand as soon as he sees the reaction it causes. "Gavin, seriously. Tell me what's up. You've been jittery every since we left school. Are you scared of being alone with me or something?"

 

"No! I mean yes! I mean-" he stumbles over his own words in his rush to get them out, "No, of course not. Why would I be scared of my own boyfriend. That's ridiculous."

 

"Are you nervous because we're here alone? Because you know I would never do anything without-"

 

"No," Gavin interrupts, not wanting Michael to get that impression. To be fair, it isn't a ridiculous conclusion to make after how he's been acting. "No, that isn't it at all."

 

"Then what's going on. You're kind of freaking me out."

 

The next few moments are filled with silence as the two boys just stare at one another. Michael with patience but its clear that he wants some kind of answer to everything that's been going on. Gavin's stare faltering a bit but only because its hard to lie to his boyfriend when he looks so concerned like that.

 

"Okay, fine," he breaks, looking down at his feet to avoid eye contact, "But promise me you won't laugh."

 

"Is it something to laugh about?"

 

"I..." Gavin trails off, running the truth through his brain and realizing how stupid it's going to sound. "Yeah, probably."

 

Michael just shrugs and makes a 'go on' motion with his hands.

 

"So, when I told my friends that you and I were dating, they were a little... concerned."

 

"Concerned how?"

 

"Well, some of them are convinced that you aren't actually just a teenage boy. They think that you might be a...."

 

"A what?"

 

"...A witch." Gavin mumbles, embarrassingly scuffing his shoes against the carpet. He feels the biggest idiot in the world.

 

"A witch?"

 

"Yes."

 

And Gavin's fear grows along with the silence that fills the hallway.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday to me! And Happy Halloween to all of you! :D <3

Then Michael laughs.

And it isn’t just a small chuckle that he tries to hide to save his boyfriend from further embarrassment, his face twists up in a mocking display of amusement and he lets out a loud guffaw that echoes down the hallway. Gavin winces.

“I told you you’d laugh.”

After a few moments of patient (and still shame filled) waiting, Michael finally calms down enough to speak. “You’re damn right I’m laughing! You thought I was a  _witch!?_ ”

“No!” Gavin defends immediately, “I swear I didn’t! I just… my friends! They said you were!”

“And you believed them?”

“Of course not… I don’t know! They brought up some good points and it made me a little paranoid.”

Michael raises an eyebrow in amusement, “A little? You just accused your boyfriend of being a witch.”

“Okay, so maybe a lot paranoid,” he admits sheepishly.

"Wait, so let me get this straight, they thought that I was  _actually_  a witch. Like, with a magic cauldron, a black cape, and a magic wand like Harry fucking Potter?” He asks between laughter.

"Um, maybe."

"And you believed them?"

"No! Of course not. I’m not  _that_  stupid,” he says defensively, but then withdraws again, “But, it did sort of worry me.”

Michael raises an eyebrow at him, a smirk forming on his lips as he folds his arms across his chest. “You thought I was going to do evil magic things to you?”

Gavin shrugs, his embarrassment heightening as the conversation progresses. It’s his first time being with Michael alone, hanging out without restrictions or obligations of school, and he’s fucking it up.

"Voodoo," he mumbles.

"I could make a little doll version of you and stick pins in it," Michael offers.

“Please don’t.”

He shrugs, “You’re too cute to stick pins in anyway.”

“It’s not funny!”

“Come on, dude,” Michael grins, “It’s a little funny. You just accused your boyfriend of being a  _witch_.”

“Well, can you really blame me?”

His smile drops entirely and his eyes narrow, playfully confused as to if he should be insulted or not. “What does that mean?”

Gavin sighs in exasperation, “Have you really never noticed a difference between the two of us?”

“Uh…” There’s a moment of silence between them as Michael searches his mind for one, “…You’re British?”

“No! We’re two completely different people!”

“Well, I would hope so.”

“You know what I mean.”

Michael looks genuinely baffled, “No, I really don’t!”

“We’re the living embodiments of the prep and goth kids from every single high school teenage movie in existence!”

Michael tries to hide his smile, both at Gavin’s desperate attempts to prove his point and his own oncoming dumb joke, “Which one am I?”

Gavin lets out a groan of frustration, “Be serious for a moment, please?”

“Do I have to be? You literally just accused me of being a witch.”

Silence settles over them after that point, and it’s only after Gavin let’s out a sigh through his nose that he admits, “You’ve got a point.”

Michael grins, “So, you were scared?

“Not scared per say-“

“You were afraid to enter my room because you thought it’d be filled with cauldrons and frogs.”

“Well, then yeah,” he murmurs shamefully, “Maybe a little afraid.”

“Be honest. Was it really the witch thing that was scaring you?”

“What else would it be?”

Michael shrugs easily, “You were the one that said you weren’t stupid enough to actually believe it. So, is there something else going on or did you lie about that to save yourself from further embarrassment?”

Gavin wishes he could crawl into a hole right now. Although talking to people about actual relationship things has never been something he’s considered himself to be good at, Michael makes it a lot easier. There’s no stern tone to his voice or tense feeling in the air. It’s just them talking, a casual conversation but with serious (although ridiculous) meaning within it, and just a little bit of ridicule at Gavin’s expense.

“Eh, a little bit of both,” he admits, trying not to meet his boyfriend’s eyes.

“What else was it then?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugs, feeling stupid for even being worried in the first place, “Maybe I was just nervous about our relationship in general. We’re so different, ya’know? Social status wise, we aren’t compatible in any way. Then my friends started saying things about how you were only with me because you were trying to trick me. And… can you really blame a guy for being a little worried?”

“I guess relationships are scary regardless,” Michael says, thinking over Gavin’s words with no hints of amusement in his features anymore. “But only if you let them be. We’re in high school, Gav. We’re still just kids. Relationships are _supposed_  to still be worry inducing. But we can get over that and have fun, just like how we do in school when we’re laughing and making jokes.”

Gavin grimaces at the truth behind his words, only because it further proves how stupid he is for thinking he had anything to worry about to begin with. Michael has been nothing but a cool, normal, and awesome guy at school, and everywhere else they’ve gone too. Why was he so concerned about being alone with him, or being in his house with him, or literally just worrying about him  _at all_?

“You have to agree with them though,” Gavin says, looking down at his feet as he plays with his hands, “I’m not really your type.”

“Oh yeah? What’s my type?” Michael humors him, even casually leaning back against the wall as though he knows what Gavin’s next words will be.

“I don’t bloody know. Somebody with piercings and tattoo’s like you. Wears nothing but black clothing and eyeliner. Probably hair dyed crazy colors and a permanent scowl on their face as they listen to screaming music on full volume.”

He nods along to the description, “Sounds like a keeper. I’ll be sure to break up with you when I come across somebody just like that.”

“Michael!”

“What? You said it yourself, they’re my type. It’s already a match made in heaven. How are you going to compete with that?”

“You’re being a prick.”

“People don’t have specific types, Gav. They like who they like, when they like them. Sure, a preference of blonde hair over brown or green eyes over blue might always be there, but that isn’t some set in stone rule that I have to follow.”

“But you’re…  _you_?”

“What? I like black clothing and piercings? Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I’m only interested in people like that. Let’s not forget that you’re the popular high school jock that is agreeing to date a person like me. Maybe there’s something wrong with  _you_. Why aren’t you out dating one of the head cheerleaders? Barbara’s pretty damn hot, why are you here with me instead of with her?”

“Because Barbara and I are friends. I don’t like her like that.”

“What about the other cheerleaders? Or your fellow football playing guys?”

“I don’t like any of them like that.”

“Exactly. Just because you’re a preppy football kid, doesn’t mean that you’re attracted to all the other preppy football kids.”

Gavin’s quiet for a few moments, the expression on his face almost comical as he considers the words and realizes the truth in them. Why does he always mess things up before they even start? His overactive imagination and paranoia has almost ruined his relationship with the boy he really likes.

He doesn’t even know why he ever bothers trying to look cool in front of Michael when it always ends like this, with Michael’s words and explanations shining a new light on his dumb opinions, and him apologizing for being a moron.

“Alright. I see your point. I was a stupid idiot, I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry. I just want you to know that… I like you. A lot. Whether you’re covered from head to toe in piercings and tattoos, whether you’re playing football and wearing varsity jackets, or if you want to put on frilly pink dresses with ribbons. Do and wear whatever you want, I’m fine with it. You’re still going to be Gavin Free and I’m still going to be Michael Jones, no matter what we wear or what people think of us. And who cares if we’re on different sides of the high school social ladder? I like you. And you like me, right?”

“Yeah, of course,” he responds truthfully, knowing that his feelings for Michael would still be true no matter how he expressed himself appearance-wise.

“Then fuck what other people might think. You can like whoever the hell you want, and if that’s me then awesome. Preferably _more_  awesome if you like me, but that’s just my opinion.”

Gavin can’t stop the smirk from ruining his thoughtful expression, and reaches out to shove Michael’s shoulder. “You’re so full of it.”

He just grins though, “If it wasn’t clear enough, I  _really_  like you. I thought you were funny, and then I got to know you and liked you even more. Not because I was trying to pull some stupid stunt to ruin the popular jock kid’s life, or because I wanted to feed you to frogs.”

“Wow,” Gavin mumbles, “And I’ve probably just chuffed that up, haven’t I?”

“Surprisingly no,” Michael smiles, reaching forward to pinch his cheek playfully, “I thought your gullibility was both amusing and endearing.”

“Sod off,” Gavin waves his hand away, then turns to rubbing the red away from his cheeks. Whether it’s from Michael’s harsh pinching or sweet words, neither really know.

“If it’s that easy to convince you I’m a witch, then how easy would it be to convince you that I’m a super hot A-list celebrity from another country?”

Gavin smiles, “I think you’d have to convince my friends first. They appear to be the deciding factor in all of this.”

“Do you think we should play up the witch thing a little? Try and get them back?”

“I would say yes, because that would be really funny, but I’d fear Geoff would take it seriously and put a hit out on you or something.”

“That guy is freakishly scary.”

“Funny, he said the same thing about you,” Gavin hums to himself.

“Well, if you thought going along with the witch thing would be fun, then you’re gonna love convincing them that I’m not a witch.”

“They’re very idiotically stubborn, I can’t imagine it being easy.”

“Nah, we just get to obnoxiously make out in front of them all of the time. Which is a foolproof plan because I can’t imagine kissing you ever going badly.”

Gavin scoffs, “You’re so cheesy it’s almost disgusting. Save the lines for when we’re trying to prove to them that you aren’t a witch and that you’re just an _extremely lame_  eighteen year old boy.”

“You’ve got it,” Michael grins.

They stand there in comfortable silence for a few moments, just smiling at one another with no doubts or worries in their heads anymore. It’s only once Gavin get’s a sly look on his face that Michael playfully rolls his eyes. “So…” he drags out the word, taking a step closer.

His boyfriend raises an eyebrow in suspicion, “What?”

“You  _really_  like me, huh?” he asks, bringing back what Michael said in his little speech earlier.

“Eh,” Michael shrugs with feign nonchalance, “You’re alright.”

“No! You said you  _really_  liked me, you can’t just take that back.”

“I was reassuring you.”

“Yes, of the fact that you really like me.”

“So what if I do?”

“Say it again,” Gavin has to bite his lip to stop himself from smiling so wide.

Michael smirks, “Really?”

“Please?”

He lets out an exasperated sigh, as though saying it is such a chore (although his smile gives him away), and then reaches forward to dramatically cup Gavin’s face in his palms. “I like you. A lot. I  _really_  do.”

Gavin original plan was to make Michael repeat it in hopes of embarrassing the boy, but it only serves in making his own heart flutter and red to pool in his cheeks. “Even if I’m not covered in tattoos and piercings?”

Michael just smiles and runs a finger down the bridge of his nose and down to his bottom lip, “I think we could get you a killer lip ring, or you could probably rock a nose ring.”

“Was that a nose joke?”

“Nah,” he waves it off, but it’s clear that it was, “You could probably do with a few tattoos too. You’re like a clean slate, think of all the colour we could add to those twig limbs of yours.”

“I don’t have twig limbs! I’m a football player.”

“Yes, and your limbs are quite twig-ish.”

“No, they aren’t! My friend’s said I’ve been bulking up,” Gavin argues, his bottom lip stuck out in an adorable pout.

“And these are the same friend’s who convinced you I was a witch? Either they’re really good liars or you’re really gullible. What else did they say to convince you?”

He doesn’t mind explaining it so much now after that conversation, even if he still feels a little embarrassed. “They said you trick poor British boys into dating you because they make better frogs.”

“That is true. I could probably make a few bucks off you. Football playing frogs are very high in demand these days.”

“How much do you think?”

“A lot,” he says after some consideration, “But I don’t think I’d sell you. I’d keep you as my most treasured frog. All the other frogs would be jealous of your special treatment.”

“Well, that’s nice. At least if I’m a frog, I’ll be a wonderfully treated one.”

“See? Nothing to worry about. Even if I  _was_ a witch with the intent to frog-ify you, you’d be living a damn good life. You would beg me  _not_ to turn you back into a human.”

“If my friends heard you saying that, they would be dragging me away from you by the ears,” Gavin points out, laughing at the absurdity of this conversation.

Michael’s a good sport about it though, going along with the joke with mock-serious consideration, even if it’s just because he wants to further humiliate his boyfriend. At least he isn’t offended or angry.

“I didn’t have an interest in meeting your friends before, but now I kinda do,” he murmurs, “They sound funny, even if they might be fearing for their lives around me.”

“They said you wanted to harvest my soul.”

"I can assure you that I will not be harvesting any souls. I won’t be doing harvesting of any kind. I hate yard work."

Gavin rolls his eyes, resisting the urge to scoff.

"What else did they say? This is fun."

"That you had something hidden up your sleeves,” he admits, still feeling sheepish about the whole thing. It’s odd telling Michael about it all because he can’t just laugh over Geoff’s ridiculous theories, he’d somewhat believed in them too.

“Like an evil plot or something?”

“Yeah, as if you’d turn away from talking to me and do that evil super villain finger thing and then cackle to yourself as lightening strikes in the background.”

“Do you wanna see what I  _do_  have up my sleeves?”

The question surprises Gavin, simply because he’s never actually seen Michael’s bare arms before. They’re always covered by the sleeves of one of his dark, baggy hoodies. But, judging by the way he’s playfully smirking and holding onto the cuff of his hoodie, which is currently a black one with an unfamiliar red band logo across the chest, Gavin assumes that he’s serious. Maybe he actually does have something up his literal sleeve.

“Not an evil plot, I hope.”

“Nope, something cooler,” he grins and pulls up his sleeves. Proudly displaying the ink decorating them.

“Whoa!” Gavin exclaims, reaching out and grasping Michael’s arm to get a better look, “You actually  _do_  have tattoos?”

“They’re sweet, right?”

“Yeah!” he studies them quickly, running his fingers over the ink. He’s always liked tattoos. His own fear of needles and commitment would stop him from ever getting one himself, but he still loves viewing them on other people. He traces the outline of the Link tattoo, the Legend of Zelda hero drawn across his boyfriend’s arm in bright vibrant colours. “In all honesty, I’d almost expected you to have tattoos, but not ones about video games.”

“Oh yeah? What was your assumption?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugs, embarrassment flooding his features, “Maybe some kind of creepy terrifying things.”

“Very descriptive.”

“Shut up. You have to admit, you don’t look like the type of person to have video game themed tattoos.”

“I guess? What about my appearance would make you think that?” he asks, still teasing about earlier, but Gavin takes the question seriously anyways.

“You… I don’t know. You just look kind of intimidating sometimes.”

“Well, do I still looking intimidating now that I’m intimi- _dating_  you?”

“Wow. That was awful. Your jokes are worse than Barbara’s.”

“I try,” he grins, covering his arms back up with his sleeves, “Seriously though, Gav, back to the serious talk for a moment. What I wear doesn’t dictate who I am. I may dress in all black, have numerous piercings, and arms covered in tattoo’s, but that doesn’t mean that I’m a witch.”

Gavin groans, “Did you  _have_  to bring up the witch thing again? I thought we were finally off that. Hearing you say it out loud just makes it sound even more ridiculous.”

Michael continues as though he hasn’t even spoke, “And just because you’re the popular British kid on the football team who wears skinny jeans and varsity jackets, doesn’t meant that you’re a stuck up snob.”

“You thought I was a stuck up snob!?”

“Still do. But just like the witch thing, you’ve got me prove me otherwise.”

“So, you might  _still_  be a witch, and I might _still_  be a snob.”

“Eh,” Michael shrugs with a teasing smirk, “I’d still like you if you were a snob.”

Gavin nods, unable to stop the smile from spreading across his own face, “I think I’d still like you if you were a witch.”

He pretends to think for a moment, only stopping to laugh when Michael pulls him close. What ever made him so scared about being alone with Michael anyways? Why did he think it would be so different than how they are in school? He feels like an idiot for thinking so, and more so for the witch thing, even if it was just to mask his actual fears.

Michael might look scary sometimes, but he’s honestly the nicest guy that Gavin’s ever met.

“Even if I wanted to turn you into a frog?” Michael asks, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend’s middle to pull him closer.

“Maybe even then,” he murmurs with a smile, moments before their lips connect.


End file.
